GREECE: Women's, conscientious objectorsí
and other anti-war groups target the military budget

Banners: No to
armaments, No to nationalisms
(Antinationalistic Antimilitaristic Initiative); No to armaments
race, Yes to social expenditure (World March of Women);
Your submarines are diving,
Our pensions are sinking
(Women Network, SYRIZA party)

Protest against the outrageous war expenditure

in front of the Ministry of National Defence, May 9, 2010 at 11 am

65 years since the end of World War II. The wars and the
occupations continue.

The war expenditure
is too high.

In the 65th
anniversary of the end of the Second World War, humanity is not even
close to peace, since dozens of wars are
taking
place across the planet, and
arms sales worldwide increased by 21% over the last five years.

While the frugal measures of the government, the International Monetary
Fund and the European Union take nightmarish dimensions, condemning
millions of people, especially us women, to poverty, unemployment,
exclusion and constant stress; at the very same
moment
of this greatest crisis, small Greece has a grievous record in Europe:
it
is first in military spending!

Worldwide,
Greece occupies the fifth position in the import of weaponry and the
13th in war expenditure as a
proportion of
GDP, while this year of harsh frugality
for the working classes, Greece will pay 10 billion euros
for armaments and another 500 million euros
for Greek missions abroad, namely the occupations. Along with this, the
commissioning
and the corruption of
the
supply of arms and munitions increase the bills and create powerful
interest groups for
the
permanent fiesta of war expenditure to continue.

Greece and her
neighbour Turkey are wasting their financial
resourceson
outrageous military spending. Both governments, buying completely
useless and unnecessary rockets, airplanes, submarines and tanks,
sacrifice on the altar of major arms industries and dealers, in the USA, Germany,
France and many others, the access of our people, especially of women,
to employment, housing, education, health, joy of life...

Common logic
would dictate that
now,
while Greece is at
a critical point, this policy of ultra-expensive armaments should
be abandoned in the name of other priorities such as the survival of
starving pensioners, the protection of the unemployed or the basic
support of the increasingly poor single-parent families at least 90% of
which is headed by
a woman-parent.

But enough is
enough! Enough is enough with the Greek "sacred cow" of insane
armaments that no one dares to touch! We demand:

o
To stop the arms race between Greece and Turkey.

o
To sharply revise
downward the armaments
programs now.

o
No participation of Greek forces in missions abroad, such as Afghanistan
and Kosovo.

o
Investment in public services (health, education, housing, environmental
protection, etc.) that we need, us women and the society as a whole.

o
Creation of structures to support women against violence.

o
Money to combat poverty, which particularly affects women,
and not for weapons.

oNo to
armaments, no to nationalisms.

oNever again
fascism, never again war.

Organization:
Greek Network
of World March of Women,
Participation: Greek Social Forum, Network of Women of SYRIZA party,
Antinationalistic Antimilitaristic Initiative, Association of
Conscientious Objectors and other collectives. Translation: Greek Association of Conscientious
Objectors

Protests in Greece have
inspired others - In Rome (left) and Venice (right)

We totally support your demonstration at the Greek Ministry of Defence.
As you say, the proposed cuts are an attack especially on women,
increasing their poverty. Your targeting of the defence budget gets to
the heart of the matter: the $1.46 trillion world military expenditure
is killing us even before any bombs are dropped or bullets fired.

Like you, we have been protesting that governments can always find money
for the Market and the war and weapons to defend it, but not for
survival and welfare. Common logic, as you say, would dictate that the
policy of ultra-expensive armaments be abandoned to ensure the survival
of starving pensioners, protection for the unemployed and basic support
for single mothers. A fraction of the money spent on the military would
secure clean water, housing, schooling, health and other essential
services to every single person on the planet.

Your protests in front of Parliament have filled our TV screens. The
resilience and courage of thousands of people determined not to lose
what has been won by decades of struggle, is an example to us all who
face similar cuts.

It is no accident that women and conscientious objectors have got
together to target military budgets. Women are the first carers in every
society, our work is for life not death. Conscientious objectors
understand this best, since they have refused to kill, maim and rape as
part of the armies of the world.

We are with you this morning as you take on the Ministry of Defence. We
will publicise your protest as widely as possible. Please let us know
how else we can help.

Invest in caring not killing.

Power to the sisters and therefore to the exploited all over the world,